Resistance unit



I. G. HUMAN.

RESISTANCE UNIT.

APPLICATION FILED N0v.1, 1921.

l v Patented 0ct.10,11'92'2 IN VEN TR.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

UNITED; STATE-s.

g l1,431,231l

` JOHN e. HOMN, onsrnnisnnviniingoiii. i

l l RESISTANCE UNIT.

-ippiication sied November 1, 1921. serial 110.512,15?.

To all whom t may concern? Be it known that I, JOHN G. HOMAN, a

citizen of theUnited States, residing at y' Steubenville, in thev countyof Jefferson, F .l v f g y eferring to Figs. 1 lto 3 inclusive of theState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Resistance Units.` of which the following is a specification.' f

This'invention relates to any improvement in a resistance unit foruse ina rheostaty or circuits involving the use of a resistance element.

The primary objects of my'invention are to provide a resistance unit ofnovelconstruction which can be economically made and assembled., andwhich may be designed to have a relatively large radiating surfacey unitwhich issimpleA and iu .cged..1 and mayy be made"` very compact.l Theunity may be made in various forms to conform to specified dimensiona'and affords flexibility 'of design Without changing tliefdimensions ofthe parts. y. y

In carrying out my invention, I propose to employ laminations ofmaterial having` a relatively Ahigh resistance element dis'- posedbetween lthe laminae. It may bein the forni of superimposed metalp-lateshaving'a resistancecoatingor film thereony'or it mayvcompriseseries of plates offcon-'i dufting materialgliaving separate sheets of*substance of a comparatively highly electrical resistance naturetherebetween.

' plates or laminas arein intimate Contact with the'resistanceniaterialvin-'either con# struction,` and serves to `conduct the heattherefrom toy prov-ide a capacity for the heat and ay radiating surface.

show` somewhat diagrammatcauy imple embodiments of my invention: Y'

Fig. lshows a vertical section throughv oneforin offresis'tanceunit;

Fig.` 2Y shows a 'horizontalsection online II-II of Fig. l; 4

8 indicates ay plan viewof 'one of the plates or laminas;

Fig. Llis a view corresponding to Fig. l

of a modification;

Fig. 5 is a section on line V-V of Fig. 4:5

-on the outside of the unit.

1 fthe material.

`is offeredfat" the4 contactinglsurfaces and The . tions where Fig. 6isa verticalsection throughaunit showing another modification; 1

Fig. `7 isa section on line VII-VII of drawings', AfA@ indicatesclamping plates On the inner facesof the clamping plates insulatingmaterial 5. Clampedfbetween plates A-A and insulated therefromy by aresheets of Y insulation, `is a series of overlapping or' staggered platesor laminae 6. The plates 6 are preferably madeof metal and have a filmor coating of highresistance material thereon. This `coating ispreferablyv of a metallic oxide nature and may b'e a Anatural film whichforms during the produ tion of i' the sheet metal platejffrom whichthelaminae areucut.' orvit may be applied to 'the cleanlineta'lsurface'with a brush or spray,

a cleansheet metal plate( In practice. the

ing is formed during ythe manufacture of 'or it j'can be formed bychemical action on vlaminas are preferablyformed from metallic sheetsupon whichv a `paper-likeA oxide coatv 'v f y A 'four' perceiitffsiliconiron forms .suchan 'xidefdui'ingfthe Lprocess of 'Amanufacturef i .y y

arek

`shown in Fig." l, only a relatively-'small areao'f the plate yisvinlcoiitac'twith thenext of each f latei` lrovides a heat radiating l)P e vadjacentplate, while the yrestfo'f the-area l' surface.` Theresistance to Velectric`f`currents in the coating. sothat the greatestamount of oxide between the plates. The oxide" or 4 otherhigh resistancecoati'ng'beingin, inti- "mate contact with 'the'laminae`, LreallyVcoin-Y yprisingan integral partof they laminaafthe My invention rmaybereadily understood from the accompanying drawings. which'.`

lamin.` will receive the `fl'ieaft s or produced* and store itforradiate it.:` This i'ifill'prevent overheating and `l`the uiiitis'therefore a desirable one forV use 'starting' amo'tor l under a heavy.load, -or in ,other `applicaa heavy current is to be conj may vhavenotches cut therein to fit around the insulated bolts to preventdisplacement cf the laminae. I do not. however, liriit myself to thesedetails of construction. The connecting terminals are designated at 9and 10.

Instead of flat plates being used, as shown in Fig. 1, conical plates orlanrnze might be used. as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In these figures, B-Bare conical clamping plates having insulation 11 on Athe inner facesthereof. Laminaaof relatively large diameter are designatedgby 12, and13 are laminae of a relatively small diameter. Laminat'fons 12 and `13are alternately arranged between plates B-B All of the laminations maybe coated or otherwise provided. with a resistance material, asliereinbefore described or the laminee 13 only may be of highresistancematerial, 'while laminations 12, by reason of the'r greaterarea, provide heat storage and radiating means. Plates la-B may beclamped together by suitable means, as by bolts 14, having insulatingsleeves 15 surrounding them. -In order to give compactness to the unit,each of the lamina; 12 may be notched to tit around the bolts. Theterminals of the resistance unit are designated hy numerals 16 and 17and are insulated from clamping plates B-B V Another modification issuggested in Figs. 6 and 7 in which C-C designate clamping plates havinginsulation 20 on their inner faces. Plates or laminations having arelatively large area are designated at 21, and 22 are laminations of arelatively small size. Laminations 21 and 22 are alternately arrangedbetween plates C--C so that the larger plates 21 are spaced apart.Plates 22 may be composed of a relatively high resistance substance, orthey may be conducting plates having a resistance coating, ashereinbefore described, as may also be the large plates 21. Plates C-Cmay be held together to clamp the laminations in position in anysuitable way, as by lbolts 23 having an insulating sleeve thereabout.The laminations 21 .and 22 may be notched to engage the insulated sleevearound the bolts, if desired, to hold the plates in place, or thefriction between the separate laminas may be relied upon. The terminalsofthe resistance unitare designated at 24 and 25.

The resistance of each unit may be changed when necessary by adding orsubtracting plates or lamin, or, in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, byadjusting the.

plates to varyv the overlapping areas of the laminations. In any of theconstructions shown, the heat radiating laminae are in intimate contactwith the resistance element, and they provide a considerable capacityfor the heat generated in the resistance. I am, of course, aware thatcertain forms of contact resistances have heretofore been employed, andam also aware that rheostats having carbon, graphite, or other disks orplates are in use, in which the resistance is varied by varying thepressure of the disks or plates against one another, but I am not awarethat resistance units comprising a lam'nated series of plates or othermembers, which may be of metal, carbon, graphite, or any other preferredmaterial, having a high resistance element disposed between the laminasand with the laminae so arranged as to provide heat radiating surfaces,have heretofore been used. The units may be designed for rugged andheavy use, and are well adapted to stand up under such use. The lamineeor plates themselves may be of a. more or less resistant nature, asdesired. this depending on the material from waich'they are made.

@bviously, various changes may be made in the construction and design ofthe resistance unit within the contemplation of my invention and withinthe scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A resistance unit comprising a laminated structure, the laminae ofwhich have overlapping areas, and a relatively high resistance substancein the form of a ilmv interposed between adjacent overlapping areas ofthe lamini, said lamina) providing a capacity for heat generated in theinterposed relatively high resistance substance.

2. A resistance unit comprising a laminated structure composed of aseries of members, each of which has a relatively large, exposedheat-radiating surface, and resistance film applied to overlappingsurfaces of said members.

8. A resistance unit comprising a laminated structure, the laminae ofwhich are of conducting material having overlapping contacting surfaceson which is a film of relatively high resistance material, some of saidlaminze having a relatively large surface area exposed for radiation ofheat gcnerated in said high resistance material.

4. A resistance unit comprising a laminated structure, the lamina@ ofwhich are formed of sheet metal having an oxide coating thereon, some ofsaid laminasJ having a relatively large exposed surface area for theradiation of heat.

5. A'resistanceunit comprising a laminated structure,some of the laminaeof which are of a conducting material. having a surface film of highresistance material through which the current passes from one laminae tothe next.

In testimony whereof I affix mvcsignature.

JoHN e. Horam.

